Tomorrow is the big day! Across the country, people will be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. We’re looking forward to the big meal. We’ve been sharing great recipes all month. We also love leftovers. And we want to discuss what to do with the bird once you’ve carved all the meat off!
In our recipe blogs, we frequently write about checking the sodium levels of boxed stock. Chicken, beef or vegetable stock can all be incredibly high in salt. While stocks add delicious flavors to food, ones from boxes aren’t always healthy. But, stock itself has many nutritional benefits.
Stock is often rebranded as “bone broth” when talking about its health benefits. It has been praised for improving the immune system and skin health for years. It may also help with blood sugar concerns. Stock contains glycine, an amino acid that can promote insulin sensitivity and help blood sugar levels. It may also reduce insulin resistance. It also has anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce chronic inflammation and slow the damage blood sugar concerns can cause the body.
Making turkey stock is an excellent way to prevent food waste and boost your health as we head into the coldest time of the year. “Turkey is an incredibly healthy protein, especially if it’s free-range,” registered dietician Rachael Richardson said. She said that homemade turkey broth “is extremely healthy for your gut, bones and adrenal glands.”
When making stock, a little acid is needed to pull the nutrients from the bones into the water. For basic stock, put your leftover turkey bones in a gallon of water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste after simmering it for 12 to 24 hours. Strain out any solids and then use it for cooking!
To lean into preventing food waste, you can improve your stock by adding all of your vegetable scraps. Any onion skins, carrot shavings or celery leaves you have left over from Thanksgiving dinner can be added to your stock to make it more flavorful.
Some people like to drink stock on its own. It contains many helpful nutrients. It can help intestinal health as it contains the amino acid glutamine that prevents and heals “leaky gut.” It is so high in collagen it can aid skin, joint, tendon and bone health. Collagen breaks down into gelatin in the body. Gelatin is a building block of connective tissue. Our bodies make collagen, but the amount decreases as we age. As it helps repair organs, hair and the gut, getting enough in our diet helps us stay healthy.
By making your own stock, you not only have a great way to prevent food waste, but you also control how much salt you are consuming. Homemade stock is easy and delicious, so make it part of your Thanksgiving tradition!
